You and I
by MoonfireHikari
Summary: When Sync surpasses her skills as a God General, she is revoked of her title and is forced to work under him. With Van's big plan for Auldrant, her family conflicts and regaining her memories, she is forced to do what she never thought of doing. WARNING: alterations of Sync's past and original Ion's death.
1. Prologue

**Hello, everyone!**

 **Moonfire here. ;)**

 **And so, I created a new character far greater than Symphony. She has her own conflicts but this story will be following the game as well because I love the game better than the anime.**

 **Do give me reviews and criticisms. I'm open for both.**

 **Hope you guys can enjoy this as far as it goes. - (May 22, 2017)**

* * *

 **Prologue**

I sat up immediately, eyes darting around. My hearts beat fast as I tried to catch my breath. It seemed like forever since I woke up. My head stung so hard that I felt like banging it on the wall. I observed my surrounding, realizing that I was not familiar with the room. I was on a bed, in a room with a single table and a chair. A small makeup table could be seen at one corner. A knock on the door was heard. I kept my mouth shut but it was opened anyway. A woman, wearing a priestess uniform came in with a plate of some sort of food.

"You're finally awake," she said to me.

She placed the food on the table. "You passed out for quite sometime. The Commandant was really worried," she explained.

"Commandant?" I muttered.

The priestess stared at me. She seemed like she was confused why I sounded so confused. Just who is this Commandant? Does he know me? Are we related?

"You poor thing. Don't worry. Once you've eaten I'm sure you'll be back on your feet," the priestess said, hugging me.

I took a glimpse of her. She gave out a familiar vibe. As I try to recall, my head started to hurt again. I cringed in pain. The woman helped me up to the table to eat the food she brought with her. It was roasted meat.

"My name is Liana, if you're wondering," she said, excusing herself.

"Wait," I called and she turned. "Can you...at least tell me my name?"

She smiled at me. "Rianne, that is your name," she muttered.

"Rianne..." I stared at myself through the reflection on the window beside me.

My blonde hair was in wreck, a visible scar on my right cheek and my dark purple eyes as mysterious as can be. Just who the heck am I? As I was deep in my thoughts, my door was pushed opened. A pink haired girl came running in. I blinked as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Ree! I'm glad you're okay!" she bawled.

"Uhh..." I mumble.

A boy in white can be seen at my door. He had a very soft smile. You feel calm just looking at it.

"Now, now, Arietta, Ree has just woken up. She has a lot preparations to do," he said to the girl.

"But, Ion-sama...I missed Ree so much!" she complained.

She walked up to the bed and sat there with the one she called 'Ion'. I ate my food quietly, ignoring them. Ion was trying to make Arietta leave me alone but she seemed to be refusing it. She kept on saying she wanted to play with and listen to my stories. What stories exactly? I tried to recall again.

"By the way, Rianne...Van is requesting you to see him once you're ready," Ion said.

"Van? Who?" I asked.

Arietta and Ion widened their eyes at me. They tried to act calm but I knew they were confused. Their faces said it all. I listened as he explained who I was and what had happened to me before I passed out. After an accident during my mission, I passed out for three months. Ion didn't say what the accident was but he did say that it involved my parents and my household. When I was done with the food, they left me. I made my way to the wardrobe where Ion mentioned that Liana prepared my uniform there. There were also a shoulder holster and a pair of kukris as well. I took them all.

"Lieutenant Rianne!" some Oracle Knights called me.

I turned to see them and they saluted me. I nodded to them. They pointed me towards Van's office. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

"Come in," a woman's voice was heard.

I stepped in when the door was pulled open. A man was behind the desk and beside him was a blonde woman. She must be his right-hand man or advisor, I thought. He was busy with some paperwork but the woman kept her eyes on me.

"Lorelai has blessed you, seeing that you woke up after that explosion," she said to me.

"Quite so," I sounded confident all of a sudden.

The woman smiled and nodded to me. Van whispered some things to her. She nodded, walking up to me. Her right hand gestured towards a table. Liana was serving tea as we sat down. The woman sipped on her cup of tea.

"Liana explained that you forgot who you are?" she started.

"Most of memories were lost," I replied, drinking my tea.

"Then, I shall fill you in. My name is Legretta and you are Rianne. We are both God Generals, the strongest Oracle Knights there are. There are some more to be recruited but now it is just us, Dist and Largo. Asch is showing potential too. He was about to replace you," she explained.

"Interesting. Would you at least explain my duty too?" I requested.

She nodded and said, "You command the fourth division for the Oracle Knights. Your job consists of patrolling Daath, the nobles and conducting missions from the Commandant."

"Legretta, I'm off to see the Fon Master," Van said.

His long hair sent shivers down my spine. Legretta stood up and nodded to him. She sat back down and explained a little bit of my background. I was born from a noble family and the heirloom to the family's treasure. My age is now sixteen. Legretta also told me that a lot of my uncles and aunts were looking for me but my father entrusted me to Van instead. My father was Van's trusted companion. She told me he died because he covered for me during ab explosion.

"I supposed you forgot your artes as well?" she asked.

"Artes?" I stared confusedly at her.

"Artes are skills you develop yourself. You can start studying about Fonons again," she said to me.

She showed me to the library. A books were stacked right in front of me. Legretta told me to finish them all and start my training the next day. She reminded me that I was a Lieutenant, so I have to be one. A couple of knights saw me but they only saluted me. How am I supposed to understand everything in one day? I grunted as my hand reached for the first book. Arietta came in, grabbed a chair and sat next to me. She brought a book with her. She started to scribble some alphabets in there.

"Ree..." she called me in a squeaky voice.

"Hmm?" I turned to her.

"Will you sing me this song. You always sing it to me," she muttered.

She started to sing some words that I didn't understand but somehow, it was very calming. Arietta started to write the lyrics down so that I could sing it with her. We started to sing quietly and I forgot about my studies. We slept together that night because Arietta said she was lonely.

* * *

A week has passed and I was back to normal as Legretta had said. I assisted Ion as requested by Van. I trained the Oracle Knights like I used to. Van would not let me out yet because he was worried that I would easily got lost. I became closer to Arietta; Ion said that she was always attached to me. She told me about her families once again, even promised to introduce me to her Mommy. Legretta trained me an hour each day. Largo and Dist would fight me as well. They used 'keeping me in shape' as an excuse. I swear they just want to pick on me.

"Your skills are improving. Your fonic artes are stronger than before," Van complimented me.

"Thanks," I said to him.

"I'm going to Kimlasca to see a friend and train his son. Would you like to come with me?" he offered.

"Really?" I was in doubt of his sudden offer.

"I would like you to meet him and train with him too," he explained.

I took the offer and we were soon on a boat to Kimlasca. When it stopped at the port, Van said I could look around. He would send someone for me. I was happy when he left me to roam around. I felt like a long time since I was out. Merchants were selling their merchandises at a very not-so reasonable price. They are all super expensive to be honest.

"Hey, are you Rianne?" a man's voice was heard.

I turned to see a blonde guy, standing 10 metres away from me. He greeted me with a bow. He has a sword with him and a pleasant aura. He told me Van sent him to fetch me. We took an elevator to the Duke Fabre's manor. When I got there, he showed me to the training grounds where Van was training Luke fon Fabre. I watched Van trained him some basic moves.

"Ah, Rianne! You're here," he said to me.

"Commandant," I greeted him.

"Who's her, Master Van?" the redhead asked him.

"This is Rianne, one of my subordinates. She will be training you for a few weeks," he said to him.

"What?! No! I don't want anyone else but you!" Luke complained.

What a brat. I don't want to be stuck with him. I rolled my eyes at the whining kid. He is just a couple of years older than me. Kind of spoilt in my opinion. Van tried to comfort him with kind words about me. He kept on saying he wanted no on but Van or Guy, the guy who was sent to get me.

"I guess it can't be helped," Van sighed.

"So?" I asked him.

"I'll train him. You would have to run some errands for me," he said to me.

"I'm okay with that," I replied.

Van nodded. We went back to Daath after dinner. I met the Duke and his wife. They were very welcoming. Guy was kind of cool too, even though he has a phobia of woman. Luke is as bratty as always when Van was about to leave. What a kid.

Van made his way straight to the Fon Master's room one we stepped into the cathedral. I shrugged it off and went straight to my room. Arietta was there, sleeping soundly in my bed. I smiled at the girl. Changing into my nightdress, I slipped in beside and went to bed.

I was awaken by a cry. I opened my eyes to see Arietta down on her knees, crying out loud. I pulled her into a hug. She kept on calling Ion's name. I couldn't bring myself to understand what was happening. After leaving Arietta with Liana, I made my way to Van's office. He was alone at the time.

"Why was she revoked from being Ion's guardian?!" I shouted.

"Calm down. It was Ion's final wish. He wanted her under my care," he explained calmly.

"Final wish? What do you mean?" I demanded.

"Fon Master Ion died last night. The Ion you saw was a replica, the seventh one," he said to me.

"What?" I was shocked.

He stood up and walked up to me with a smile. He said, "Care to join me on a mission?"

I raised a brow. We were at an old library in the cathedral. He opened a secret path to a volcano. He explained that he was going to recruit someone. I had no idea what he meant until I caught sight of a boy, about Ion's age. He looked just like Ion and it freaked me out. Van told me that he was one of the replicas casted off here as 'failures'. When he saw us, he tried to attack us. I took out my kukris but Van told me to stand down. He went to talk to the boy. I didn't hear what he said, but the boy obediently followed him. I saw him placing a seal on his back. He was brought to me.

"His name is Sync and he will be under your care," Van explained.

"Okay...but why?" I asked him.

"You and him are quite similar: he lost his identity and you lost your memories," Van said, smirking.

The boy was given a hood to cover his face as we sneaked him into the cathedral. He was brought to my room. I got his measurement and started on his uniform. His eyes was glued on me. I felt uneasy. He is Ion's replica. Ion, a great friend of mine...and Arietta'a precious person.

"Hey..." he called.

"Yes?" I looked up at him and landed on his pure green eyes.

"How should I cover my face?" he asked.

I walked up to my drawer and took out a mask. I told him it was from Van and he wanted him to wear it. When I was done with his uniform, I told him to put it on. He dropped his tattered robe with his back facing me. I could see the seal on his back clearly. What is Van thinking to do with this boy? He is like a newborn who doesn't know anything about this world...just like me. Van was right. We are similar.

"How do I look?" he asked me.

"Like a knight should. Here, let me do your hair," I offered.

He sat down on the bed. I filled my hands with some hair gel. I started to work on his hair. We can't have him looking like Ion at all, so I decided on some spikes for him. He looked cooler than Ion would. If only my friend Ion could see this. We would laugh about it for a few days. I understood how Arietta felt, losing something she holds on to. Feelings hands on my arms, I snapped back to reality. Sync was starring at me.

"Water's coming out of your eyes," he said.

"They are called tears. I guess I'm more affected than I think..." I explained to him.

"So you're the original's friend too? Why help me?" he asked, snickering.

"Van's orders are absolute. I can't disobey him," I told him.

"So you're Van's dog, huh?" he said.

Where is all the confidence coming from. I couldn't see his eyes but he had a smug on his face. This kid is more dangerous than I think he would be. I shook my head at the thoughts and kept my eyes on him. He was looking around my room now.

"So...what should I call you?" he asked.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Arrogant, Proud Sync**

I woke up extra early to make sure that _certain someone_ was awake before anybody else. I put on my uniform and tied my hair like always. As I was grabbing my weapon, a knock could be heard on my door. It was pushed opened by a green haired boy. Beside him was Arietta with her precious doll in her hands. She is now a God General as well: Arietta the Wild.

"Yo," Sync said to me.

"Good morning to you too," I replied.

"Ree, will you join me for breakfast?" Arietta asked me.

I smiled and nodded to her. Sync scoffed to show that he disagreed. We did promise to do some sparring before the other knights occupy the training grounds. I insisted that we should have breakfast first. He complied even though he was still reluctant. He dragged himself to follow us to the cafeteria.

"I wanted to go see Mommy tomorrow. Van said I could," Arietta chirped happily.

"I'm glad to hear that, Arietta," I said to her, patting her head.

I could feel a cold stab on my back as if someone was annoyed by how I was treating Arietta. I glanced up at Sync but he was not looking at us. I ignored him and kept on listening to the pink haired girl. We ate our food quietly. Arietta was eyeing Ion. She kept on whimpering. How I wish I could tell her the real truth but Van made me swore not to tell anyone about it. Only Sync and I knew about the real Ion. This Ion we see right now, is also weak but he can use Daathic artes, just like my close friend, Ion. I turned my face to Sync who look a lot stronger even without the Daathic artes. He knew I was looking at him.

"What are you looking at?" Sync asked.

"I just thought how similar you two look," I whispered to him.

He frowned and looked away. "If you want to pick a fight with me, I really don't mind taking you on," he gave out a smug.

"Let's go to the training grounds now. Then, you have a two-hour lesson with me on morals. After that, we will be training the knights, an errand from Van," I explained to him.

"Can't wait to defeat you," he sneered.

I rolled my eyes at him. Arietta decided not to join us. We stepped into the training grounds to see that it was already crowded. A couple of knights noticed us and saluted as a greeting. I saw Largo with his troops.

"So, what are we doing today?" Sync asked me.

"Hmm…I would love to spar with you…" I drawled, looking around.

Largo caught sight of me. I smiled at him and nodded. He came up to us with his large scythe. His eyes were fixed on Sync.

"What?" Sync asked.

I could feel that he was a bit intimidated by Largo. The large man simply smiled and nodded to him.

Turning to me, he said, "Would you like me to spar with him?"

"Would you now? He is really ruthless," I said to him, getting a scowl from Sync.

"I know. I once saw you getting back to your room with a very deep scar," Largo replied.

I was amazed that he acknowledged how strong Sync is. I agreed with Largo's offer. Walking out of their way, I signed for them to start. Largo started with a swipe from his scythe which Sync dodged easily.

* * *

My eyes kept their stern look on Sync. He was playing with his pen and reading the book I gave him. He knew why I was looking at him like that. The atmosphere around us was tensed. Even Liana would not get close to me. Most of the priestesses ignored us as much as they could. After half an hour, Sync slammed his hands on the table. He was angry.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" he shouted at me.

"We are in the library. Please, refrain from shouting," I said to him calmly.

"You stopped our fight! I almost had him!" Sync protested.

"Are you trying to kill my colleague?" I asked him, trying to stay calm.

"I just want him to know who's stronger. I'll bet I'm stronger than you," he said, crossing his arms proudly.

Sighing, I replied, "I acknowledge your strength and I would like Van to acknowledge as well. I already arranged a battle between us next week. He will be watching."

"I can't wait to beat you," he growled.

I dismissed him after that and told him to wait for me at the training grounds. We exited the library to find Legretta waiting for us. She looked serious.

"I would like to have a private talk with Sync," the woman said.

"Sure. I'm heading to see Largo anyway," I gave her my consent.

Legretta nodded. I left the two of them together and made my way to Largo's room. A healer was there with a doctor, tending to his wounds. I approached him who gave a smile to me. His broken arm was healed. Only his sprained ankle remained. The bruises on his body were fading as I look at him.

"That kid is strong," he said.

"I apologize for his outburst," I bowed to him.

Largo chuckled and replied, "You don't need to apologize. It would be a bonus if he is in our team."

"I know, but he has to learn to control his temper," I replied, looking away from Largo.

The man smiled and nodded to me. He did not say anything. I excused myself to head to the training ground. An Oracle Knight came running up to me with a panicked face. I blinked at him, confused of his behaviour. I was surprised at what he told me. I ran to the training grounds. Sync was having a hard time defeating Legretta alone. It was the first time I saw him out of breath.

"If you are too arrogant of your powers, this is what you get," I heard her said.

I walked up to them before Legretta could finish casting her arte. I took out my kukri and placed it between them. Sync stared at my weapon. I put on a stern look, eyes fixed on Legretta's face. She sheathed her guns and nodded to me. She excused herself, walking away. I turned around to face Sync who was on the ground. He looked up at me with a frown.

"You want to get up or not?" I asked him, extending my left hand to him.

He pushed away my hand and stood up on his own. I could see a clear cut on his right arm and some light bruises around his legs. All of the knights around us started to whisper. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him to follow me. We went to his room. He sat down while I rushed to get the first aid kit. He took of his uniform and was left with his dark pants. I started to treat the cut on his arm.

"I locked the door. You can take off your mask if you want," I said to him.

He took it off and placed it on the table beside him. "I didn't mean to be so arrogant," he said.

"She means well, but her ways are sometimes…very questioning," I explained to him.

He kept quiet all the way till the end of my treatment. I told him I would get him something for him to eat. He only nodded to me, putting his mask back on. I exited his room. I kept on thinking about Sync's battle with Largo. He was badly injured because of him.

* * *

" _Sync, enough!" I screamed to him._

 _Sync's aura was different. It was as if he wanted to devour Largo. The man was already down on his knees. His scythe was broken in two from Sync's blow. I stopped him before he could land another hit on Largo. Largo could not keep up with his speed and before we know it, the scythe was broken with Sync's Stone Dragon Ascent. Largo was pushed back due to the blow. He did not admit defeat but he did glance up at me. I took the obligation to stop them._

" _I'm not done!" he shouted._

" _Enough is enough!" I said to him, turning to three knights on my right, "Take Largo to the infirmary."_

 _I dragged Sync out of the training grounds to not scare off the knights with my temper. Sync was furious that I stopped his battle but he did not protest at all. He kept his mouth shut._

" _Please...try to control your anger and temper..." I whispered to him._

" _Tsk!" I heard him said before walking away._

* * *

He is too strong for me. I was sure that he would take away my title in an instant. Even Asch was chosen as one of us just a few days after he came. Van wanted to maintain with just six God Generals. I can never surpass that kid. He is biologically a baby but his powers are far beyond that. I reached the cafeteria. Liana came up to me.

"I heard..." was all she said and whispered, "Stay strong, Ree..."

I nodded and walked up to the cook. I asked him for Sync's dinner and mine as well. Once I was done, I rushed my way back to Sync's room. Weirdly, he was obedient. He just sat up on his bed with a book to read. His mask was on his lap. I felt very awkward. He turned to look at me with his pure green eyes. I closed the door and locked it again so that he could remain not wearing his mask.

"Eat up," I said to him.

"I thought we're going to train the knights?" he asked.

"No. I asked Liana to inform them. Asch will be taking over," I lied.

I started munching on my dinner as well. Sync ate quietly for a few minutes.

"Legretta is faster than me," he suddenly said.

"Her title is 'the Quick'... What do you expect?" I looked over to him.

I could see that he was staring into spaces. "She was the first to beat me," he muttered

"Know your level then..." I replied, sighing.

He kept on eating. It was the first time I saw him so quiet and concerned. I wondered what he was thinking.

"Sync..." I spoke and he stopped eating to listen. "I know you're strong and you _will_ be far more useful for Van than me. I just hope you won't stop learning..." I whispered to him.

He slowly nodded to me. I left him when we were done with our dinner. He kept on staring at his hands even when I closed the door. That was the last time I ever saw him with no confidence.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: There is more to know**

Sync made his way passed me. I watched as he started to discuss some things with Largo. There was a man on a floating chair beside the large man: Dist the Reaper/Rose. I ignored them and made my way to the training grounds. An Oracle Knight greeted me while the others ignored me. I minded my own business. The scar on my cheek could still be seen clearly. I started to do some warming up for my daily training. I caught sight of Arietta and Legretta. They approached me.

"Sorry to hear the news," the woman said to me.

"We're still friends, right?" Arietta asked.

I nodded to Arietta with a smile and then, turned to look at Legretta. "I accept the Commandant's decision. Sync _is_ stronger than me. I cannot deny that."

I sighed out of exhaustion. Even though he is a God General, I am still responsible for his lessons and anger management. Sync accepted it without any complaint. Could he be happy that I still have to babysit him? Well, at least I could keep an eye on him.

"He is still under your care, right?" Legretta asked.

I nodded and replied, "Yes. Commandant still wants me to take care of him and watch over him in case he had another outburst."

"It's so hard to be you," the pink haired muttered sadly.

I patted her head as comfort. I know she is scared of Sync but she is attached to me. Whenever Sync is around me, she can't come closer. Sync never did anything to her, though. She is just intimidated by his aura. I hoped that they could get along now that they have the same position in the hierarchy. The pink haired flashed an innocent smile at me as I kept my thoughts to myself.

"Would you like to have dinner with us?" Legretta invited.

"No, she's eating with me," a familiar voice interrupted us.

I turned behind me to see Sync with a smirk on his face. Arietta hugged her doll tighter while Legretta just sighed at his behaviour. I could sense that his eyes were on me.

"The Commandant wanted to see you," he said to me.

"Me? Now?" I asked.

"Yes. He still has an assignment for you," the boy replied.

I nodded to him and made my way to Van's office. I recalled the battle between Sync and I, and Van's reaction when he saw that I was defeated. He called me to his office with Sync after that, not letting me recover first.

" _Sync will take your position for now. You will be answering directly to him," Van said._

" _Okay, I have no argument with it," I replied calmly._

" _So, I'm a God General and she's my dog?" he asked Van._

" _She is your subordinate as of next week," the Commandant corrected him._

" _Alright," Sync said, glancing up at me._

" _She is still responsible for your wellbeing. You will be taking orders from me and she will be taking orders from you," Van explained to Sync._

 _The green haired nodded. I wrapped my arms around myself to comfort the sadness of losing my position. I knew Van noticed, buy he didn't say anything. We were excused after that. I couldn't bear to stand up anymore, the aftermath of our battle. My world went dark in an instant._

That time, I woke up to find myself in bed with most of my wounds treated. I thought Sync was the one who carried me but he could never be that compassionate. My dinner was left on the lonely table beside the window in my room, too.

I reached Van's door as I was deep in thoughts. What did he want to see me for?

"Come in," I heard his voice after I knocked.

"You wanted to see me, Commandant?" I asked him.

He nodded and said, "I would need you to come with me to train Luke for the next week."

"I thought I am to answer to Sync?" I reconfirmed with him.

"Yes, but this is an exception. I need you to train him while I observe some things," Van explained.

Sighing, I replied, "Fine. Does Sync know?"

"Yes, I have already received his permission to take you with me," he said.

I nodded, excused myself and walked away. Sync was waiting for me. He wanted to have an early dinner and I had to comply. All eyes were on us when we stepped into the cafeteria. Sync ignored them, heading straight to the counter to get some food. I followed him without a word. We sat down side by side because Sync asked me to. I know that he was staring at the scar on my face. I got the scar from him after all. I kept my eyes on my food, munching as fast as I could.

"So…" he mumbled, suddenly touching the scar.

I jolted at the sudden contact, turning to look at him. "What are you doing?' I blurted.

"I just wanted to know how deep the scar is," he shrugged.

He started to eat his food. I went back to eating. He finished before me, so he left me alone. I made my way to the library to do some light reading before facing spoilt Luke tomorrow. I met Liana on the way. She felt sorry for my lost to Sync. I told her it didn't bother me at all and that I was okay. She nodded to me, assuring me that she is always on my side. I thanked her for her words. I was lying. Of course, it hurt me deeply. Losing to Sync, losing my position as a God General and losing my respects from the knights around me.

"There she is, the one that lost to the new boy," a whisper was heard.

"Yeah, I can't believe a newbie beat her, one of the strongest there is," another whisper came.

I clenched my fists, trying to ignore the harsh words that they thought I could not hear. I changed my plan and went to the training grounds instead. Largo and Asch were there. When they saw me, they stopped talking. My eyes were fixed on Asch but he didn't look bothered by my stares.

"Doing some light training?" Largo asked me.

"Yes, I thought of casting some artes to kill sometime," I replied with a smile.

"You're the girl that was defeated by Sync?" Asch asked me.

I nodded to him. He nodded to me and walked away. Largo excused himself as well. I was left alone again. I started to cast a few simple artes just to play around. I started to meditate, thinking of some new castings that I can do.

* * *

The next morning, Van and I were on the ship to head to Kimlasca _again_. I stretched my arms to ease my nerves as I took in the sea breeze. Van was busy doing some studies, reading his notebook and ignoring me. I strolled around the ship.

"Rianne, don't go too far," Van spoke up.

"I won't," I replied.

We arrived at Baticul in a few hours. Van told me to head straight to the manor before him. He had some things to settle. I shrugged it off and made my way to the elevator. Once I was in front of the manor, I reported to the guards there who I was and showed them my pass. They granted me permission to enter the manor. The first person I saw was Ramdas, talking to Luke's mother. The frail woman saw me. She greeted me with a smile and I bowed in return.

"Are you here with Dorian General Grants?" she asked me.

"Yes, Madame. He is running an errand and told me to come here first," I explained.

"I see. Well, Luke is still in his room. I'll have one of the maids call him. How about you head to the courtyard first?" Susanne suggested.

I nodded to her. "I will," I said, walking towards the path leading to the courtyard.

As I stepped out, I saw the blond guy and the gardener discussing something in a whisper. I ignored them and looked around. The flowers are well-taken care of. They are very beautiful. I took the time to smell them when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Guy with a hard stare. He was standing 20 metres away from me.

"What?" I asked him.

"You're the girl from before… Rianne, right?" he asked me.

"Yes. I am Lieutenant Rianne," I replied coldly.

"I guess we'll be working together," he said to me, scratching the back of his head.

I was confused of his words, but he told me that Van would explain to me eventually. Upon saying his name, Van made an appearance. Luke came out of his room, running up to him like a little kid. He looked as excited as always to see the Commandant. His reaction seemed a little familiar to me. A smile of a child flashed into my mind.

"…ianne," a voice said.

"Rianne…!" Luke's voice startled me.

"Yes, Master Luke?" I stuttered.

"Master Van told me you'd be training me," he muttered, his right hand on his hip.

I glanced up at Guy who shrugged. "Right…" I replied to Luke.

We went to the middle of the courtyard. I started my explanation on sword skills. He did not seem interested, kind of reminded me of Sync when I talked about manners. I ignored his behaviour and demonstrated a simple sword skill with my kukri. The boy widened his eyes at what I just did. He started to show interest. I smiled at him and explained how to earn such skills. He started to listen attentively.

"He seems to like you now," Guy remarked when I approached him to take five.

"Yeah…as a tutor," I corrected him. "So…what's the story?"

"Luke lost his memories. He was kidnapped and due to the event, he was traumatized," Guy replied.

I turned to watch Luke attacking the dummy. "Oh…" I muttered.

I could relate to him. I lost my memories too but I could live with that. Guy told me he was having a hard time remembering everything at that time. I tried to recall the first thing I did when I woke up after a long time.

"Do you know about the Score?" Guy asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yes. Why?" I replied.

"So you know the prophecy, right?" he asked me again.

"What are you trying to tell me?" I asked him, getting impatient.

"Luke's name…its meaning is similar to the prophecy told," Guy explained. "I think he is the chosen one to save this world."

"Not that the world is in chaos now," I spoke up.

"Well, yeah. I'm not saying we're in trouble. It's just a thought," he sighed.

I sighed and gave in to his words. I knew what he meant. I just didn't want to acknowledge Luke. Him, as a hero? Nice one. He never went out of the household and he couldn't even hold the sword properly. It would be a long time before he is anywhere near of becoming a hero, but I could see determination in his eyes. He has something he wanted to achieve for himself.

"So you with Van as well?" I asked the guy who was 20 metres away from me.

"Yeah, something like that. We survived the Hod War together," he explained to me.

"I see…" I muttered. "Must be great to know him…"

"What do you mean?" Guy asked, confused.

I dodged his question and made my way to Luke to fix the way he was holding his sword. I explained again about the skill I just taught him. He listened and nodded to what I was saying. I sensed Guy and the gardener watching us but I ignored them. Van had explained a few things to me once. I just have to be patient and wait for more explanation from him. After all, I'm not under direct orders from him anymore.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Chi the Chirpee**

The door of my room was forcefully pushed open. I sat up in bed, startled by the sudden ambush. It was Sync in his uniform. I heaved a tired sigh, watching him walking around my room as if he was looking for something.

"What's up?" I asked him, scratching my eyes.

"I can't sleep," he spoke.

"Something on your mind?" I asked, yawning.

"I've been thinking about Van's plan," Sync said.

"Oh…that. Well, it won't be taken into motion just yet, so don't worry too much. Luke is still locked in his house. Ion looks like he can manage another year or two," I explained to him.

It had been a year since Sync was created. He had succeeded a lot compared to me. He is the new Chief of Staff and the 5th Division Commander. I am now an ordinary Oracle Knight under his division. He made me train most of his troops. I guess he acknowledged my skills. He is also the tactical leader for the God Generals. For some reason, he has a mind of a strategist.

"Can I go back to sleep now?" I asked him, lying back down.

"We're going on a night stroll," he said, pulling my blanket off of me, "Put on your uniform."

I groaned but had to obey him. He waited for me outside. Once I was ready, I got out. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Why is he always so serious? He started to increase his pace. I wasn't having a hard time catching up, but what was he up to? We reached a forest, north of Daath. It was dark and I could barely see. The cold breeze was unbearable. I glanced up at Sync who was looking straight ahead. Did he have something in mind?

"So, why did you bring me here?" I asked him, trying to hide my shivers.

"I just thought you would love the night air," he suddenly said.

"That was stupid. I'm going back…" I sighed, turning my back to him.

I took a few steps away from him. I stopped when I felt like I just kicked something. I looked down to see an egg right at my foot. I squatted down to pick it up. It was the size of my fist. Sync came up to see what it was.

"An egg?" he asked me.

"I think so," I looked around to try and find its nest.

"It must have fallen from a nest or something," Sync replied, jumping onto a tree.

I watched as he jumped onto another one. I realized he was trying to help me find the egg's nest. I was waiting for him when suddenly, the egg cracked. A baby bird was now in my palms. I blinked at it as it chirped. Sync landed at my side, staring at the little monster in my hand.

"I should take it to Arietta. She'll know what to do," I decided.

"Yeah, give it to the wild girl who has a liger by her side," Sync mocked.

I turned to him with a growl. "Don't say bad things about Arietta. She has better manners than you ever do…" I warned him.

"Tsk!" I heard him.

I left him there to go see Arietta in her room. She was resting with her liger friend when I got there. She ran up to hug me when she saw me. I hugged her and patted her head.

"You seem well," I said to her.

"You too. I missed you!" she whimpered.

"I missed you too," I replied.

She saw the tiny monster in my hand. It chirped at Arietta who squealed in delight. I told her what had happened and how I ended up with a baby chirpee in my hand. She communicated with ease. The bird nodded to what she said. I tried to understand what they were talking about but I found it hard to do so. Arietta then turned to look at me.

"It seems to like you. It wants to stay with you," she said.

"Okay…" I drawled, looking at the baby bird, "What should I feed it?"

"Grains and worms will do, if you don't want it to grow up loving meat," the pink haired explained.

I nodded to her. I placed the bird on my shoulder. It clawed onto me with its dear life. I made sure it didn't fall as I walked back to my room. Once again, Sync was there leaning against the wall. I sighed.

"Yes?" I asked him.

"We're training, first thing tomorrow morning," he said.

He took a look at the chirpee and then, walked away. I made a little nest out of a shoe box and some cloths. I placed the little chirpee onto the soft cloths. It seemed comfortable because it drifted off to sleep. I thought of how to take care of it, whether I should name it or not.

"I should start calling you by a name…or people will think you're a monster…" I mumbled to myself.

I stared at it and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Morning came and I woke up like always. The bird was fast asleep. I snuck out to the cafeteria to grab some food for it. I placed the shoe box inside a cage I created from some old weapons I found at the inventory room. I placed a bowl of grains and a bowl of water inside it as well.

"Stay here. Arietta will come and look after you," I whispered to it.

I ran out to the training field where my superior was waiting for me. He was with Legretta who happened to be training as well. I greeted them with a nod and saluted them. They nodded to me.

"If you'll excuse me. I have some matters to attend with the Commandant," Legretta said.

"Okay. I'll be there for the meeting," Sync nodded to her.

As I watched her leave, I asked him, "What meeting?"

"For our plan of course," he said.

"Studying the Sephiroth?" I sighed.

He stroke at me with a punch. I blocked it with my arm. He smirked and nodded approvingly.

"If you're that tired you should just pull out. I don't need someone as weak as you. You're useless if you're weak," he warned.

"Do remember that I am one of your strongest knights," I replied confidently.

"I wish to see that," he muttered, charging in.

I jumped away, throwing some smoke bombs. Sync brushed it away by manipulating the wind. He casted his Turbulence. I had little time to react but I managed a shield. He smirked approvingly at me again. He charged in with an arcane arte again. Taking out my kukris, I cut the rocks off. He charged in with a kick. I lost grip on my kukris and dropped them. I knew what he was waiting for, so I casted my brand new arte, the one he helped me create. The skies started to darken and the wind was blowing faster, maybe too fast.

"Calamity!" I shouted.

The grounds under him shook as lightning aimed towards him. He shielded himself with his powers. I dropped to my knees after that, my breathing ragged. He came up to me.

"That was better but your casting is still incomplete. The lightning is not that strong to break my shield," he explained to me.

"I see. Thanks for the honest opinion," I said to him.

He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up. I felt like our eyes met when my face was close to him. I looked away, feeling my cheeks burning hot. I pushed his hand away from my arm.

"Eh…are you falling for me?" he asked teasingly.

"Why would I?" I blurted, still blushing.

This kid is biologically one year old. I can't be falling for him! Right, this is just a love from a sister to her baby brother. I tried to ease the blush on my cheeks. I heard him chuckled.

"I have a meeting to attend to. You can do whatever you want…or would you rather join us?" he said to me.

"Am I invited?" I asked him.

Sync gave out a smug. Before I knew it, I was beside him in the meeting room. Arietta was next to me, glancing up at Sync once in a while. She was holding onto my arm. Dist was staring at me with an annoyed face. I refrained from looking at him. I could feel stares on me.

"Am I really invited?" I asked Sync in a whisper.

"Yes, you are," Legretta replied to my question.

"You _were_ one of us, after all," Largo agreed.

"But she is already revoked off her title!" Dist shouted, disapproved.

I didn't respond to his shouts but I could sense that Sync was scowling at him. He kept quiet after that, muttering some words to himself. I wondered why most of them insisted that I attended this meeting. I opened my mouth to ask Sync but Van came in before I did. All of us stood up and saluted him. He gestured for us to sit down.

"It seems like we can proceed with our plan a little bit earlier than usual," he said.

"Are you saying that we should drag Ion out soon?" Sync asked.

Van nodded. "We will have the Fon Master to open up the Sephiroth close to us first. Mohs is planning to follow the Score. We can use him as we like," he explained.

"Hah…so what should we do first?" Dist asked.

"We have to make Maestro Mohs our ally," Legretta suggested.

"That would do," Van agreed.

"I'm not convincing that old fart. Make someone else do it," the green haired replied.

I listened quietly as Van told us his plan again. It was a bit absurd but he has his logics. All of them have the right to hate the Score but do I? I never even had my Score read after the explosion that caused me my memories. All I did was obey Van.

"Rianne," I heard Van called.

"Yes?" I turned to look at him.

"You are assigned to look after Luke with Guy," he said to me.

Sync slammed the table and shouted, "What? She's supposed to be under _my_ orders!"

"Sync!" Legretta sternly said.

Van shook his head and explained to us. "She won't be doing it all the time. At least for the time being while I look into some things. I am not going to bother _your girl_ forever, Sync."

Sync sat down with his arms crossed. I frowned at Van's nickname. I am not _his girl_!

Van continued the meeting by assigning Legretta and Largo for a mission. We were dismissed after that. I went straight to my room to check on the baby chirpee. It had already woken up and chirping loud. Arietta left a note as a sign she did come in to check on the little monster. Feeling like it was glad to see me, I sighed. I sat on the side of my bed, watching it. It was toddling up to the bowl of water I had placed inside the cage.

"I will call you Chi," I said to it.

It chirped, as if understanding me. Sync came in, scaring the little monster and startling me. It hid under the cloths in the shoe box. His eyes were fixed on the little bird.

"You're keeping it?" he asked.

"Problem?" I shot back at him.

"No," he replied.

He handed me a pair of purple armbands. I stared at what was placed into my hands. He mumbled something in a low voice. I could hardly hear him.

"From now on, wear that instead of the ones you have on. Those are worn off already," he said, pointing at my gloves.

"Thanks…" I shrugged.


End file.
